Wildflower
by Tenucci
Summary: Jack's been the captain of the Pearl for two years. When visiting Bahamas, a beautiful girl asks him to help her to escape from the island. Reluctantly Jack takes the girl to his ship but he doesn't know what she's done or how big troubles wait for him..


Author: Tenucci  
Translating: Rosette  
Rating: PG/PG 13

Summary: Young woman with strong will has gotten into trouble and she had to get away from Nassau. A Pirate Captain with his ship offers an opportunity for that… who that Captain might be…?

Wildflower

Chapter 1.  
A different kind of pirate

Nassau, Bahama, December 23. 1693

The silhouette of the Black Pearl oscillated in hot sunshine. Black sails almost seemed to catch fire, the hull melt into the water. Just like the magnificent ship would try to melt into the horizon. The Captain of the ship admired his anchored ship from the main dock of Nassau's harbor. He let out a pleased sneer, but his thoughts were interrupted when he heard hoarse voice, which came behind his back: "It is bloody good-lookin' ship."

Captain Jack Sparrow turned around and met vicious eyes and scarred face with scraggly beard. It was the First mate Hector Barbossa, who stood there with hands on his waist and habitual arrogant look on his face.

"Aye", Jack answered and grinned a little forced. "What a sight for eyes."

Jack Sparrow had been the Captain of the Black Pearl for two years as he had gotten the ship for himself. Barbossa had been at the ship also two years and Jack didn't like the gleam in his eyes that had gotten stronger as the First mate looked at the ship. At the same time when he pondered, Jack glanced at few men, who walked on the dock to stand in line. New candidates for the Black Pearl's crew.

Jack noticed that Barbossa moved farther as he snorted. Jack knew very well what Barbossa thought about getting new members to the crew like this. Barbossa thought that new members should be taken from ships that have been taken over, more or less violently with the help of a sword and a pistol. They were pirates after all! Barbossa reminded about it all the time, letting know that he thought that Jack's habits weren't piratey enough.

Of course Jack agreed that they were pirates, but he thought that a pirate didn't needed to be drooling, swearing barbarian, who kills and rapes everything that gets in his way. Jack appreciated more cunning and twisted mind. They were his habits, Barbossa was blunter.

_Sometimes I also have to fight_, Jack pondered silently. But sometimes there were better ways. Like the fear that pirates aroused in the crews of ordinary ships.

Jack shook unpleasant thoughts off his mind and raised his chin, put his hat a little bit tilted and created egoistical smile on his face. Piercing gaze appeared to his dark kohl-lined eyes, when he walked in front of the first man and began to interrogate in his familiar way, why this would be good enough… or bad enough to sail with the excellent crew of the Black Pearl.

Dahlia Almodóvar looked under her pitch-black, messed hair and dirty, worn-out hat at the tall, dark Captain, who demanded answer to his question from a man, who stood next to her. Dahlia felt that her hands were sweating because she was so nervous. She thought that few of the candidates had been very good and she didn't know how she would manage to hide the fact that she was actually a woman. The fact that would definitely prevent her getting into the crew of the ship.

Dahlia listened with her head down to the discussion of the Captain and the young man. It sounded that the young man would be accepted, because the Captain patted with his hand on the young man's shoulder. Dahlia tried to raise her eyes to the Captain's face, which was extremely difficult because she had to keep her head down. But she saw that the Captain was quite young, maybe in his early thirties. He was wearing a long coat, like Captains usually wore, a white linen shirt, dark trousers and boots. The man's hair was very dark brown, almost black and a part of it had been tied into dreadlocks. The red bandana flashed under old, leather tricorne hat. The Captain carried a sword and a pistol in his weapon belt that had decorative buckle. He also had red-white sash, which had been tied around the waist and he also had shining rings in his fingers and pearls, which had been tied into his long, dark hair.

_He is quite handsome_, Dahlia thought, but she almost kicked herself on her toes. _Didn't you get enough troubles for yourself, you fool?_ Dahlia lambasted herself silently.

At the same time brown boots walked in front of her, so that the dock shook lightly. Dahlia gasped fearfully, but pulled herself together. Now it was her turn.

Jack looked for a moment at a short, young boy in front of him. The boy seemed to be petrified because of fear and he also trembled little. _How wretched-sized weaklin'_, Jack thought and then sighed quite fed up. He already knew who he would take into the crew and he wouldn't have wanted to waste time to this young boy. However, he asked: "Well, lad, how old are ye?"

"18", Dahlia answered as she still kept her head down. She didn't lie, she truly was 18 years old.

"Couldn't have guessed", Jack grinned mischievously. "I can see that ye weren't at home at the mealtime."

Dahlia hid her anger skillfully. This man was as annoying as he was handsome. She would have wanted to show her true nature, but once again she reminded herself about the earlier incident, where her fiery spirit had leaded herself into. So she remained quiet.

"Well, what would ye do at me ship?" Jack asked with a sigh, he already wanted to go to drink rum at the tavern. "Ye are too small to fight, crow's nest is full and we have enough cabin boys."

"I need a job, sir." Dahlia said calmly.

"Do ye have any idea what kind of job this is all about?" Jack asked and his voice began to sound more and more irritated. "The Black Pearl isn't any merchant vessel nor just a sailin' boat."

"I don't fear work neither death." Dahlia gnashed her teeth.

"I think that ye talk about things that ye know nothin' about."

"With all your respect, sir… You don't know me." Dahlia couldn't help bu to say.

Jack couldn't believe his ears as he stared at the young lad's dirty hat. Then he laughed and glanced at Barbossa, who stood farther behind him. "Did ye hear that! The lad said that I don't know him." Jack said amused.

Barbossa just shrugged and withdrew into shadows as he yawned. Jack turned back to the boy and said almost laughing: "Ye are quite a jobseeker. Take that hat out of yer head, so that we'll see what kind of weaklin' there is."

"I wouldn't want to do it, sir." Dahlia said. She would have wanted to bit her tongue, this recruiting was going towards hell.

Jack couldn't help but laugh, he was so astonished about the lad's arrogance. "So are ye fillin' the Captain's place of me ship?" Jack asked with amused smile. "Haven't ye heard how ye should speak to the people above ye?"

"Yes sir, I have heard enough about it."

"But ye haven't learned anythin', aye?" Jack began to get fed up to this game. _That darn lad has some nerve to talk to me like that._

"Well, the fact is that I don't take any lads, who have some problems with their attitudes, to me ship", Jack announced and his voice was suddenly very cold. "Go grow to yer home."

Dahlia kept her head down as Jack turned his back and announced who would be accepted to the crew. _You are an idiot, Dahlia!_ The girl blamed herself. _Why can't you swallow your pride and keep your mouth closed! Maybe mother was right…_

Suddenly something unexpected happened. Dahlia was just wondering should she run away from the dock when she heard Barbossa swearing. For a moment Dahlia forgot to keep her head down and she raised her eyes to Barbossa, who was still swearing and held his aching ankle. There was bloody knife lying on the dock, near Barbossa's feet. Dahlia also saw a small skinny and dirty boy running away with a thick golden chain, which had been hanging from Barbossa's vest a moment ago.

Quick as lightning, before anyone even managed to do anything, Dahlia rushed after the boy. The girl thought distantly that this was her opportunity to be accepted into the crew and that thought gave her more speed.

Dahlia caught the boy at a dirty side-street. The girl took a hold of the boy's shabby shirt and knocked him over on to the ground on his back. The boy began to scream in horror when Dahlia took her small dagger from her waist and pointed it towards the boy's neck.

"Please, don't kill me." The boy panted as tears began to fall on his dirty face. He wasn't much older than ten years.

Before Dahlia managed to do anything, she noticed from the corner of her eye that Jack walked towards them. The girl let her gaze fall immediately, wrenched the chain from the boy's hand and let him to stand on his feet. Dahlia held the boy from his shirt when Jack arrived to them.

"I caught the thief, sir." Dahlia said a bit breathlessly and gave the chain to Jack. The man took it and looked at the little boy, who sobbed pitifully in the hold of Dahlia.

Suddenly Jack took a leather pouch out of his coat pocket. The pirate Captain opened the pouch and took a shiny coin from the inside. He handed it to the boy and said: "Go buy some food and don't steal from pirates anymore… especially not from pirates like Barbossa."

The boy stared at the money, he couldn't believe his eyes. He carefully stretched out his hand towards it and took the money in his hand. Jack sighed and put the coin pouch back to his pocket.

"Let the kid go." Jack said and Dahlia released her hold from the boy's shirt. The whelp ran behind the corner as quickly as his feet allowed.

The sun shined to the narrow, dusty street, where the pirate Captain and the girl, who had dressed up like a boy, stood face to face. For a moment neither one did say anything. The other watched the other silently.

"At least ye are quick", Jack then said as he broke the silence and stared Dahlia from head to toe. The girl was about over 5 feet tall and very thin. That had eased Dahlia's disguising into a boy.

"Ye have a name, lad?" Jack asked and Dahlia wondered his amused tone.

"Dan", Dahlia answered. She had made it up as she had run to the dock with other jobseekers.

"Dan, ye say…" Jack repeated and laughed. Dahlia glanced through her messy hair at the Captain. Suddenly the man wiped her messy hair, so that the girl's delicate, dirty face revealed into the daylight.

"Strange name for a girl." Jack said and looked straight to eyes of Dahlia, whose face was reflecting disbelief and confusion. Jack laughed to the girl's confusion and next deep red spots decorated Dahlia's cheeks.

"How… How did you know?" Dahlia whispered quietly, embarrassed.

"First I didn't know, but ye won't trick anyone with a face like that, darlin'." Jack said and caressed Dahlia's cheek with his fingers.

That made Dahlia blush again.

The girl lowered her head and hid a little smile on a corner of her mouth. Yes, she knew that she was beautiful. She had heard it too many times and from too many mouths that she couldn't believe it herself. And that had led her into troubles, she couldn't resist those compliments. Jack's next answer interrupted her thoughts.

"Well, are ye goin' to tell yer real name?"

"Dahlia", Dahlia answered without hesitation and smiled a little already. "Dahlia Almodóvar."

"Ye are Spanish", Jack said as he frowned.

"No, senór, a Mexican." Dahlia answered with laugh and flashed a smile to Jack.

Jack smiled and nodded his head lightly as he then asked: "What that kind of little miss dressed as a boy is doin' here at the Nassau's harbor?"

"That is… a long story…" Dahlia sighed and seemed a bit sad. Jack raised his eyebrow thoughtfully. _What a strange lass._

"I still need that job from your ship", Dahlia said as she had first encouraged her mind. "What does it matter that I am a woman?"

Jack laughed and said: "It matters a lot. Maybe it doesn't bother me, but ye know…" Jack bent closer to Dahlia's face and whispered: "A woman brings bad luck at a ship."

It was Dahlia's turn to laugh.

"That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard." The girl said defiantly and Jack didn't stop wondering of her boldness.

"Maybe it is, but bad things happen to me if I take ye there." Jack said with a smile on his face.

"But you are the Captain", Dahlia insisted. "You can do what you want."

Jack grinned and he was delighted of those words, but he still said: "Ye are right, but I am the Captain because I have been chosen as one. And they can also choose another in me place."

"Like that old fart, who owns that chain?" Dahlia asked saucily and began to feel like she was herself again. Jack laughed again to the girl's talk.

Jack thanked Dahlia for the help and began to walk towards the docks, but the girl ran scampered after him. The girl threw her hat away and pulled her fingers through her long hair, just to disentangle the worst tangles. Then she ran to caught Jack. The man didn't slow down, just glanced at the girl, whose hair fluttered in the air. The pirate Captain laughed and continued forward.

"Sir, I am still coming to your ship." Dahlia announced strictly and almost had to run to stay in Jack's pace.

"Oh, really?" Jack said and turned from the corner of the street as he dodged a merchant cart and its owner. Dahlia almost crashed against a box filled with oranges, but still followed Jack enthusiastically. She ignored the man's amused grin.

"I can be for help." Dahlia said when they rushed in the middle of the crowd.

"Oh, ye can?" Jack still didn't slow down.

"Yes..", Dahlia began to explain breathlessly, but she noticed that Jack wasn't interested in her explanation. The girl stopped and said loudly and desperately: "I have to get out of here!" The people around them stopped their working and glanced at the girl curiously.

Jack took a few steps, but then stopped. He turned towards Dahlia and came to stood in front of the girl.

"Ye can get away from here in some merchant vessel." Jack said and looked at the girl almost gently. Dahlia snorted and leered around her like a little child, who doesn't get what she wants.

"I don't have money", the girl said angrily. "And if I had money for the voyage, it wouldn't be enough for living at a destination. That's why I need a job from your ship."

"Go to work in tavern and then travel." Jack suggested and glanced nervously towards his ship.

Dahlia became angrier and she yelled with tears in her eyes: "I have to get out of this bloody island today!"

Jack frowned confusedly to the girl's panic. He didn't have time to begin to demand a reason for it. _Bloody hell_, Jack cursed in his mind.

"Alright then, lass", Jack said. "I will take ye to the Pearl, but there is no work for ye. It's better if ye stay away from me crew."

"But…" Dahlia began.

"No any buts." Jack snarled and Dahlia thought that it would be wise to keep her mouth closed. This man wasn't easy to persuade in everything.

Dahlia was anyway satisfied as they walked rest of the journey back to the busy dock, where the Pearl's new and old members of the crew loaded boats in the sunshine. Water, fruits, chickens in their cages, salt meat, lamp oil, rum and everything possible was lifted over sides of the boat. Dahlia looked interested at this working and then asked; just to say something and ease previous tense atmosphere between her and the Captain: "Why did you give money to that little boy? He stole from your friend."

Jack laughed and Dahlia heard some bitterness in his laugh.

"Barbossa is me First mate", Jack said as he emphasized the last word and then grinned. "And I gave money to that boy because he stole from Barbossa. And also stabbed him in the foot with the knife. I think that is a bargain worth of a shillin'."

Dahlia looked confusedly at the pirate, but when she saw his mischievous grin, she smiled. Jack smiled back to her and suddenly they were at the edge of the dock, next to the boat that waited for them in the water.

Dahlia sat at a stern of the boat, next to a chicken cage, ignoring the crew's interested gazes. She felt that she was filling with tingling expectancy, when she saw the Black Pearl floating on waves in front of them. Dahlia had never seen so beautiful ship. It had three masts and it was completely black from decorated windows and lanterns of the stern to all the way to the figurehead. Sunlight was strained throught a net of the rig and bowsprit reached the surface of water when the ship rocked on waves.

Dahlia smiled and glanced at the shore that turned more distant with every stroke of oar. She would get away from this cursed island. That was the main thing.

Before they would find her.


End file.
